


A Taste of Love

by Endlesswriter03



Category: Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: A loss of a grandparent, AU-Bughead, Betty hits Jughead with a brick, Betty is spunky and Jughead is an asshole, Betty moves to New York City, Eventual Smut, F/M, Jughead is a cook, Jughead locks Betty in a freezer, Light Angst, Restaurants, Romance, Semi Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, barchie friendship, bughead - Freeform, hate to lovers, romantic Jughead, they but heads a few times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-15 20:41:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17535890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endlesswriter03/pseuds/Endlesswriter03
Summary: Betty inherits her Grandfather’s beloved restaurant after he passes away unexpectedly. She is determined to keep the doors open and there was nothing that was going to stand in her way. She made a promise to her grandfather years ago to take over when he needed her to and there was no way she was going to let him down. Even if his cook is an annoying know it all with a smirk that she wanted to slap right off his face.Yes, Jughead Jones was an asshole. And no, she did not need his help or did she like. But damn, why the hell was he so hot?





	1. Welcome to New York City, Betty!

Two months.

 

It’s been two months since Betty Cooper acquired the book that laid securely in her hands. The book at which was handwritten by the only hands of Leonardo Cooper, the wonderful man that is her grandfather- sorry, was. She was still getting used to the idea but didn’t know if she would ever be able to accept the word was.  The book that held all have his secrets of producing world-class Italian food. In his beloved restaurant Leo that was nestled in the deep downtown of New York City surrounded by voices of the city. The voices being the people of New York and the sirens that filled the streets. Betty looked down from the window of the train she was taking from Boston to New York. She ran her fingers down the cover the book feeling her eyes burn as memories of her grandfather surged in her memory burning her with the pain that she had felt from the moment he lost his life. Since she heard the doctor’s final words and apologizes that would do nothing to bring the man back.

 

Betty sniffled as she opened the book to see his smiling face peeking up at her with love in his eyes. The kind of love this man gave his family was very rare and so special. Why did he have to go and leave her behind? When they had so many plans that will never be able to fulfill now? She continued to fill through the book landing on different recipes that were paired with memories of laughter, tears, and love. She landed on a page and felt her lips began to tremble as she took in the words. Leo was a very wise man. He would often say that the best food is made with heart. The best way is love your customers is to fill them with good food. Love and food were the only things that matter in life. They provided the substance that made the world go around and the way the world warmed itself from the coldness that life often brought. Such as his death two months ago.

 

Two months ago when her world ended and two months ago when it was announced that Leo’s had been left to her through her grandfather’s will along with his apartment that was waiting for her when she arrived. The only thing she had to do was to finish her education at Harvard in which she had graduated from almost two weeks ago. It should have been the proudest moment of her life, but yet it was one of the most chilling. Mainly because of the void that was there in his wake.

 

Betty wiped away the tear that escaped her eye as she remembered the night of his death. It was Easter Sunday and the family, him, her mom and her, had sat down for dinner with a glorious ham in which he had cooked himself on a beautiful display in the middle of the table. Betty had just handed her mom the mashed potatoes when Leo began to pull that tie around his neck and his face began turning a deep red followed by gasping for air.  Alice Cooper jumped up running around the table to him as the poor man began clutching his chest. Alice Cooper shouted at Betty to call 9-1-1 and Betty could barely remember what happened after that until they received the words: It was a heart attack. It was fast and sudden, but with irreversible damage to his heart that made it too weak to beat on his own and that his time was short. As the doctor said those words, a code blue sounded from inside the room. The room they were standing out of. The doctors ran back inside followed by several nurses that seemed to come out of nowhere. Betty could do nothing but watch through tear-filled eyes as shouts from the doctor sounded in the halls. A few minutes later, the doctor reappeared with deep pity in his brown eyes. A pity that told her the truth before the doctor even uttered the words. He was gone. Her beautiful happy to go grandfather was gone. She would never be able to hear the deep laughter the rumbled up from somewhere deep inside of him again. She would never be able to call him on Sundays to tell him about her week or her assignment or tell him that she loved him...again.

 

The next several days moved like a blur from making the funeral arrangements to the actual funeral itself. The night she went into the bedroom he was staying to find the book laying on a desk nearby wide open on a blank page. A page never to filled with another word from Leo Cooper. That was when it really hit her. She sat there for hours. Crying deeply in the depths of his room clutching the book to her chest. The book that she only knew about because it was one of the secrets he had shared with her and only her. A few days later, they sat across the table from Leo’s lawyer when she found out that he had left the restaurant to her with only one condition.

 

Luckily for her, Betty was only weeks away from graduation and a week ago after her final class received the call from the lawyers stating that the deed and keys were available for her to pick up at her convenience and that was where she was headed at the moment as soon as the train docked at Grand Central Station which would be at noon or what she hoped to be at noon. Betty looked up at the pelting rain that escaped a heavily clouded sky with the New York skyline in the background. It was like the weather was mirroring her sorrow. A voice sounded through the intercom announcing their arrival at the station followed by a bell signaling that the train had reached its stop.

 

Betty took in a deep breath getting up from her seat reaching for her carry on and waited for a cute elderly couple to pass, the man tipped his hat in thanks at her as he walked, before stepping out into the aisle and made her way off the train and into the station. Betty was greeted by the sounds of the station. People were walking and talking amongst themselves some asking guards for directions and some talking with excitement as the greeted a love on. An occasion hiss from the trains could be heard and she closed her eyes at the feeling she was home. Betty looked around the room looking for the sign pointing her way which was to her left and that was the way she went to get her bags. Soon she was walking out of the station into the pouring rain and she wished that hadn’t left her umbrella back at her apartment. Well, it could be worse, She thought to herself. She hurried over to the line of cabs with hopes of catching a free one and luck seemed to be on her side when she opened the door of one and slid inside. Betty shivered at the cold air of cab hitting her damp skin. She wiped away the rivers of water from her forehead to see the cab driver staring at her with an amused look. And damn he was a hot one too. With dark hair and dreamy blue eyes. Looks that spelled trouble for her already broken heart. That was a story for another day.

 

“What?” She snapped at him feeling a bit self-conscious. Yes, she might have looked a little bit worse for wear but it's not her fault. She didn’t control the weather or a four-hour train ride that had her up at crack of dawn.

“It’s raining outside,” He said pointing out the window to the wet streets that laid around them.  

 

Betty stared at the man for a moment trying to decide what to say, but her mouth did it for her and soon words were flying out of her lips. “Is that what that is?” She asked her following his finger out the window. “Because I literally had no clue,” She added.

 

The cab driver snickered at her answer. “Now, that is an answer I wish I could get instead of hostile hmms or no answer at all. Where’s your umbrella?” He asked her.

 

“I forgot it,” Betty grumbled laying her head back on the headrest. She groaned internally at the small ache in her neck from her night of tossing and turning due to the nerves that swelled up in the pit of her stomach as she thought about her move to the city.

 

“Here you go.”

 

Betty opened her eyes to see him holding out a roll of paper towel for us and gave him a smile as she took them from him. “Thank you,” She said tearing one off and using it to try her face. It was the only part that paper towel would help.

 

“Is this your first time to the city?” He asked her and Betty shook her head.

 

“Hardly,” She answered wiping off a drop of water off her nose.

 

“So where to?”

 

Betty gave him the address and soon the cab was moving through the streets only to get stuck in a traffic jam because some idiot didn’t know how to drive in the rain. It was an hour later when the cab finally pulled up to the curve outside of the building of interest. She dug out her wallet pulling out a few bills and a few extra for the kindness of the towel placing the cash in his hands.

 

“Sorry about the traffic,” He said as she opened the door and Betty shook her head.

 

“That was not your fault and thank you for the towels,” Betty said before climbing out of the car and back out into the pouring rain once again. She hurried out of the way of a massive swarm of pedestrians that surrounded her to a large glass door with fancy gold handle that awaited her to open. She walked inside to a lavish lobby that seemed almost too pristine for the top magazines for the world. The tiles were so glossy that she could see the reflections of the light in them before the turned to a long carpeted hallway with flimsy plants along the wall for decoration to go with the pictures on the wall.

 

“Can I help you, Miss?”

 

The sudden voice made Betty jump pulling her from the awe of the beautiful building around. She looked to see a young red-headed girl, that reminded her of her best Friend  Archie Andrews, looking over up from her large desk staring curiously at her. Betty felt her cheeks burn from embarrassment.

 

“Hi,” She greeted walking up to the front of the desk. “Yes,” She nodded at the girl who was looking at her expectingly. “I am here to see Mr. Perkins.” She answered.

 

“Name?” the girl asked turning to her computer typing something into it.

 

“Betty Cooper.”

 

The girl typed a few more things before shaking her head at her. “I am sorry, but I am not finding a Betty Cooper on our schedule. Do you have an appointment?” She asked in a voice that Betty was quickly finding annoying.

 

Betty shook her head. “Sorry, I don’t-” She started but what cut off by the receptionist.

 

“I’m sorry, but Mr. Perkins will not see anyone without an appointment and his calendar is filled until the fifth which is two weeks away,” She explained looking up from her screen.

 

“Mr. Perkins knows that I am coming. I personally spoke to him this morning. All I am doing is picking up keys from is all which is why I don’t have an appointment, so could you just get him for me?” Betty asked putting on her best smile even though she was already getting tired of the bullshit.

 

“I will try, but I will not make any promises. He is a very busy man,” She said before reaching for the phone punching in a few numbers. Betty watched the girl have a brief conversation with a few nods of her head before ending the call.  The girl turned back up to her. “If you will please have a seat in the lobby down the hall to the right. Mr. Perkins is currently with a client, but as soon as he is finished he will be right out. There is also a coffee machine, so feel free to help yourself while you wait.”

 

Coffee. The girl just said the magic word. “I will do that,” Betty smiled thinking about the treat awaiting her. “Thank you for your help,” She said pulling away from the desk and soon the phone rang again and the girl was busy once again. Betty went down the hall turning the corner and the lovely looking coffee pot came into view like the lighthouse of her life. To her, it honestly had the signal light flashing saying drink me! You need it! Yes, coffee was her addiction and would be the first one to tell someone that she had a coffee problem. But she didn’t care. She liked what she liked. She also knew that coffee companies around the world just made bank from her during the week of her final. Come on, finals at Harvard are stressful. The strong aroma hit her nose as she poured herself a cup, the scent was strong enough to give her a warm boost that sent shivers down her body.  She had just placed a lid on her cup when a door to her left opened up and the voice of Mr. Perkins filled her ears laughing as he said goodbye to whoever he was speaking to and soon he was speaking to her.

 

“Already hitting the coffee pot huh?”

 

Betty turned around holding up her cup. “You know it,” She smiling walking over the man who had his hand stretched out. “How are you doing, Mr. Perkins?” Betty asked him while she shook his hand.

 

“I told you to call me Martin, young lady and I am doing well,” He said stepping back opening the door wider to his off. “I thought I was expecting you at earlier.” Martin moved over to his desk sitting down in his large leather chair.

 

“I would have been here sooner if it hadn’t been for traffic. Someone had an accident,” Betty explained.

 

“Ah, so that was what made the power blink earlier,” Martin said shaking his head. “Some of the New Yorkers shouldn’t have driver’s licenses. So are you ready to gain the keys to your grandfather’s kingdom?”

 

“I’m ready as I’ll ever be I guess,” Betty sighed and Martin turned around in his chair reaching to a shelf and she guessed by the zipping sound Martin was going into a safe. After a few minutes of rummaging, Martin turned around placing a folder on his desk followed by a key ring filled with several keys. He turned the folder upside holding out pen for her to use.

 

“All you need to do is sign on a few lines stating that it was you, Elizabeth Cooper, who I was issuing these keys too,” Martin instructed pointing to places where she needed to slap down her chicken scratch that she called her signature. Soon the folder was closed and he was holding out the keys for her to take.

 

“Alright, there are several keys on here that will go to several different things around the restaurant such as the storages and the wine cellar. Also, the key to his apartment which is across the street is on here too. There was a spare key, but we were unable to find it.” He explained placing the keys into her hand.

 

Betty smiled. “He must have lost it at some point because he was good at losing things,” She said swallowing against a lump in her hand feeling the weight of the legacy built before her in her mere hand.

 

Martin chuckled fondly. “That he was. When you get the place up and running again. Give me a call. I could go for a nice cheesy pizza with some garlic bread. That man could cook like no other.”

 

Betty nodded. “I most certainly will. Thank you for everything, Martin,” She said with a warm smile.

 

Martin shook his head pulling his glasses off of his face. “Don’t thank me,” He said. “Thank the man that was my best friend for the past 20 years. Also, don’t worry about any kind of failure. I know he taught you well. He often boasted about how you were following in his footprints. Do you need a ride? I can get you a cab?” He offered.

 

“That won’t be necessary,” Betty declined lightly. “I will just take the trains to where I need to go. I don’t want to get stuck in another cab for a long while.”

 

Martin nodded accepting her answer. “Very well then. Please call me if you have any questions about anything.”

 

“You will be the first person I call if the need ever arises,” Betty told him. They exchanged their goodbye and Betty was walking out of the office, down the hall, and out of the building. Betty sighed in relief seeing that rain had completely stopped leaving the air cool and damp. She walked down the sidewalk walking around people only turning one corner and that was to do down the stairs to the train she would be taking to the area she needed to be in.

  


It was like a blur to Betty. She was getting on the train, sitting down in a very girl seat and shortly she was getting off and climbing back up another set of stairs into the city. Except for this time, all the building lining the street stood out to her looking familiar in a cozy homy kind of way. She could smell the scent of food cooking from another restaurant just down the block from where she was standing. She looked around the street as she walked as memories of playing on the sidewalk when she would often stay with her grandfather during the summer time. The summer times that she would start looking forward to around the time of spring break. Spring break… The time she wishes she could trade in for just one more moment of memories of spending time with her Grandpa but no….She had to go with her friends to Montreal for some fun time and it turned out to be her biggest regret. Because,  just one month later...Well, you should know by now.

 

Betty felt her eyes heat up as the laid on the building in question and then she was standing right in front of it. The burnt red bricks sticking out like a sore thumb or was it the blazing white windows gazing out the street below. Betty could see a broken window pane from where she stood remembering that it was her who broke the glass in the first place. She had caught a fly ball that day when they went to watch a baseball game and had been throwing it when it veered off and out the glass it went. She was never able to find that baseball. Anyway, her grandfather came rushing up at the sound of broken glass and he didn’t even get mad at her. He got down on his knees looking over every inch of her arms and hands to make sure she wasn’t cut from the flying shards. Once she was checked out and safe, he inspected the window and said that it would be fixed. But seeing as she was now staring at it from the streets several years later. He had never gotten around to it.

 

Her eyes slid down the building sweeping over the blue canopy that hosted white letters in a cursive fashion spelling out the name Leo’s. Though she found some strange sights as she looked at the storefront. One, the open and closed sign was flipped around to the closed side and then the light that was always lit up was dark as if there were no signs of life in the bulbs. Betty felt herself begin to get choked up as she now was facing the hardest part of the equation. The part that she had been dreading the most. The part that had kept her up at night staring up at the ceiling above her bed. The part that wasn’t a math problem that she was having trouble solving where she could close the book and come back later. The part that would make everything real and that was going through those doors to an empty space where grandfather was always supposed to be. The space that he had built up with his bare hand after her grandmother past away due a tumor found on her ovaries. The space that was theirs. His and Hers. Yes, the getting here was the easy part, but taking the final arrow in her heart was a bit more than she could actually take. The part she was not ready for, but she knew that she had to pull the band-aid off sometime if she wanted this to work. And that time was now. So, she mentally pulled up her big girl pants and marched over to the door as a sound of thunder pierced the air followed by the pitter patter of heavy raindrops hitting the ground. Betty looked behind her wondering if that was a good sign and she was taking it as one

 

It took her a few tries to find the right key and when the lock turned to its side her heart began to pound. A new rush of panic washed over her making her realize that she was not ready for this moment but tore that wall of resistance apart as she pulled open the door to walk inside. She hit by the scent of basil as the scent of the herb had been forever encrusted into the four walls around her. Betty looked around and her heart hurt at the sight of dust laying on the wooden tables that were scattered across the floor or the way the napkins had turned a yellowish color on the booths that lined that wall. The way the leafy plant was wilted in a desperate need of water. She turned to the other side where the jukebox was that she and her grandfather would often dance to after he locked the door for the night. It too was dark. Betty walked over to the first booth placing her bags on top of it. Yes, she had been carrying her bags everywhere she went, but what was she supposed to with them? Come down to the apartment drop them off only to go back the way she came ten minutes earlier. No, she didn’t do things that way. She did her things her way.

 

Betty walked along the bar running her hand over the wood stopping to run her fingers over the letters of her initials that she had carved one night waiting for Leo to get done with the dishes on the slope of the counter and she was trying to catch up on her summer reading. There were pictures that littered the wall of Leo and various customers from over the year. All of them held that warm smile of Leo Cooper. Betty walked over to the one in which she was in and plucked it from the wall. Betty blinked back the tears as she stared at the picture remembering the night it was taken. It was one of her last nights of one her visit right before her first year of high school when her life turned super busy due to the harpings of Alice Cooper about her school work and how important these years were for colleges to look back on. Her final visit to the place was her junior year of college when she was at Harvard. She had made many promises to come visits that would be drowned out due to internships at various newspapers around the city of Cambridge and Boston. One of them landing her a job as a reporter at a small upcoming newspaper company that loved her due to her experience from the Riverdale Register in her hometown of Riverdale.

 

She slides the picture into her pocket as she continued to walk around taking in everything from wall to wall. Betty wiped away the tears that had managed to escape as she drowned in the dead silence. But it wasn’t that silent at all. Betty could still hear the sound of her grandfather’s laughter as he waved goodbye to his recurring customers and his little words that often made her stomach hurt from laughter. Betty shook her head at herself, but was she mental? Maybe? But it was something that she was going to hold on to as long as she could because it gave her the one thing she really needed. Hope.

 

After her careful inspection of the dining room, Betty made her way around the counter where she looked at everything that was left behind from the receipt tap to the order pads. She decided then that the place needed a good cleaning from floor to ceiling to make the place shiny once more. She continued walking through the kitchen area, opening and closing the many refrigerators mental jotting down everything she needed even though she had all the information in the book Leo had left behind such as recipes and various vendors where he would often get his supplies from. Soon she found herself opening the door to what was his office and boy was it a mess. There were papers everywhere with pens scattered on a small desk as well a rotary phone.

 

“They still make those?” She asked herself lifting the phone off playing with a dial area merely because she was curious and the phone was so cute that she couldn’t bear the thought of getting rid of it. Because it was so her grandfather. Betty sat down in the worn leather chair that had some tears going up the side and spun around a few times. Giggling at the pulling feeling in her stomach from the motion but the entertainment was short lived as the jingle of bells sounded from the front that made her stop the chair. She listened closely to see if she could hear anything again and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the sound of shuffling footsteps. Betty felt her heart jump up in her throat as she looked around for the bat that Leo had kept in the office for protection in case of emergencies like now. But it was nowhere to be found and Betty cursed at herself for leaving her bags up front. What if they took her things? She should have known better than to do that. Except for the purse that was hanging around her neck and that purse housed a brick She always kept that close no matter where she went other than her home. Betty grinned at herself and she could hear the footsteps growing closer and they were slowing down. Which meant they were near the door, possibly just around the corner.

 

Betty could feel her heart begin to pound while she pulled the purse from around her neck. She wrapping the straps around the palm of her hand several times to give herself some leverage as she lifted her hand into the air. One more footprint sounded and this time it was just outside the door. But she would not be beaten, not by anyone. So, Betty closed her eyes taking a deep breath before jumping out of the room with the bag raised in her hand to see a tall man wearing a weird looking hat standing out the door with his own hand raised up with a bat. The bat she had just been looking for. The action had caused them both to scream in fright and Betty wasted no time in clocking the dude upside the head with her bag. He cried out in pain from the contact and Betty watched with satisfaction as he clutched the side of his head which caused him to drop his bat as he fell to his knees in front of her. With her attacker in much-needed pain, Betty snatched the bat up off the floor in case if she needs it to kill him, not that she would kill anyone but she doubt she would. Her grandfather had always told her that she had a nice arm and for once she was proud to use it and would use it again if she needed too.

 


	2. Bricks and Bats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I have been wondering from the moment you jumped and hit me,” Jughead answered smartly. “What did you hit me with anyway?” He asked reaching up to take the ice pack from her because she spent way too long in his personal bubble space and it was close to popping.
> 
> “A brick,” Betty boasted proudly, and his eyes widen at the revelation.
> 
> “No wonder it hurt like a son of a bitch,” He grumbled. “What kind of psycho carries a brick around in their bag?” He asked grumpily.
> 
> “Keep that on your face,” Betty ordered when he pulled the pack away from his eye.
> 
> “I just want to inspect the damage,” Jughead protested. “Because my head is throbbing. I can’t believe you hit me with a brick.”

“What do you want?” Betty asked through gritted teeth to the man kneeling on the floor with his head in his hands. When he did or say nothing except be there, Betty rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath trying to keep her anger into check. “I am going to ask you again, and if you don’t answer me in the next five seconds, I will hit you with this bath. Now, tell me. What do you want?” She said swinging the back bat to show him that she was serious. The air from the swing must have gotten his attention because he held a hand up to her while clutching the side that she hit in the other.

 

He cleared his throat before he began to speak. “What I want is for this ringing in my head to go away,” He answered in a pain filled voice slowly lifting his head to look at her. Betty almost dropped the bat, and his eyes widened at the sight of her. It was the cab driver from earlier. But how did he know where she was and if she was honest with herself he was just as shocked to see her. Many questions were running around in her mind, and she couldn’t decide where she wanted to start, but he beat her to it. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Me?” Betty scoffed heatedly at the mystery man. “I could ask you the same thing. Are you following me? Are you one of those creepy stalkers who get off on following innocent girls around?” She felt a burning rage in her stomach because she did not like the idea of having an issue on her first day back in the city. She already had enough to deal with, and he was not one of them. The faster she got rid of him, the better so she could carry on with her day. Then he dropped a chuckle that made her almost see red and felt the urge to swing the bat at his head. But she refrains to let him speak for himself so she could justify her next swing.  But her patience was running thin very fast.

  
  


“What is so funny?” Betty asked him as he continued to laugh before looking her up and down in one heated sweep. She didn’t know if she liked the way that felt or hated it. But right now she hated it, and she hated that damn smirk he was giving her. Oooh, her palm was itching to slap it off his face. “Well? You can either tell me, or you can tell the cops.” Then she remembered that she had placed her phone in one of her bags to keep it from getting wet from the rain. The bags that she had left up front while she looked around the place. The bags that were currently useless to her. Damn it! This day was not her day.

 

The guy appeared to have enough of her attitude because his stupidly handsome face turned into a glare. “Go ahead and call the cops. I want to speak to them about pressing charges for the assault I just endured.” He said pulling his hand away pointing to the side of his face. Betty winced internally at the sight of the growing bruise around his eye. She really did a number on him and was proud of her work. “Also, let me know your address so I can send you the bill if I have to go to the ER because I think I am seeing double,” He added shaking his head then winced from movement.

 

Betty smiled sarcastically at him. “Well, maybe it will teach you a thing or two about breaking and entering a place. “She shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

 

His eyebrow furrowed at her words and shook his head slowly. “You can’t commit a breaking and entering on the place you live.” He informed her.

 

Betty’s head jerked back at this. “You live here?” She asked him.

 

“Sure do.”

 

Betty stared at him for a moment before snickering. “Nice try. You don’t live here. Want to tell me another lie? Admit it, you were following me. Do I have stupid written on my forehead? Don’t answer that,” She snapped when he opened his mouth, and he quickly shut it eyeing the bat as she pointed dangerously close to her nose. If she didn’t have that killer look in those green eyes of her, he might have been a little turned on. There was no denying that the blonde girl in front of him was gorgeous. From the shiny blond locks in a tight ponytail all the way down to her boot-clad feet.  “How did you even get in here? I had the door locked.” She pointed to the front.

 

“Man do you talk fast,” He sighed earning an icy glare being sent his way. “Okay, before you decide to take another swing at me and kill me, I did not follow you here. I swear. I live here. I live in the loft upstairs.” He said pointing to the ceiling.

 

“That is funny because I have never heard of you,” Betty told him. “You really live here?” She asked him.

 

“Yes,’ He answered sounding annoyed. “I used to work the owner before he passed away a couple of months ago.”

 

Betty felt her resolve begin to break, but she just needed one more thing. “Can you prove it?” She asked him and when he nodded. “Prove it,” Betty demanded. “What is your name anyway?”

 

“My name is Jughead Jones,” Jughead replied before lifting a hand in the air. He waved it around. “I am just going to reach inside my pocket. Okay?” Betty nodded keeping her eyes on it as he shoved in to pull out his keys and held them up. “I have a key.” He said.

 

“So, that is where the spare key went,” Betty sighed dropping the bat. “How long have you been working here? What did you do?”

 

“Since last summer and I was the cook until the place closed. I needed a job, and a place to live and Leo was the only one willing to work with my schedule with my classes. So here I am.” He explained honestly.

 

“So, that is why I don’t know you,” Betty muttered to herself and then it was Jughead’s turn to look at her suspiciously.

 

“Enough about me, what about you?” He said turning the questioning on to her. “Are you with that Martin guy? I thought I told you guys do give me six months and I will be out of here.” Jughead told her sounding slightly angry.

 

“Wait, Martin knows about you?” Betty questioned reaching back to pull on her ponytail. When he nodded, Betty sighed and looked to the ceiling. “Why didn’t he tell me about? This whole thing could have been avoided,” She said tiredly. She could not wait until this day ended with her in the hottest bath water with a glass of her favorite wine. Betty looked down at Jughead and nodded her head towards the back. “How about we go get some ice for that eye, and I will explain everything to you?” Betty suggested extending a hand out to him. 

 

“I will take you up on that ice,” Jughead said at the nice gesture but refused to take her hand as he struggled to get to his feet and swayed a little once he was standing,

 

“That is why I offered you my hand,” Betty pointed out to him before walking around him back to the kitchen area.  “Sit down,” She ordered pointing at a stool walking over to the ice chest but not before grabbing a towel from a drawer.

 

“You know your way around here,” Jughead noted curiously.

 

“What makes you say that?” She asked him filling the fabric with a scoop of ice

 

“Because like you I have never seen you around here before and two you haven’t had to ask where a single thing is,” Jughead pointed out. “Like you know where everything is.” He added.

 

Betty smiled at him when she turned around walking over to him. “It’s because I do and I am guessing you are wondering why?” She asked knowingly stopping just before where he was sitting. Betty had to stop herself come from gulping at the sight of him leaning back with his elbows propped up on the counter. His blue eyes, eyes bluer than a sea, watching every move she made. His gaze made a chill crawl slowly down her spine to the pit of her stomach where it melted into a warm pot of gooey butter. Getting her mind out of the unneeded gutter, Betty focused on placing the ice pack to his face. He winced at the initial contact.  

 

“I have been wondering from the moment you jumped and hit me,” Jughead answered smartly. “What did you hit me with anyway?” He asked reaching up to take the ice pack from her because she spent way too long in his personal bubble space and it was close to popping.

 

“A brick,” Betty boasted proudly, and his eyes widen at the revelation.

 

“No wonder it hurt like a son of a bitch,” He grumbled. “What kind of psycho carries a brick around in their bag?” He asked grumpily.

 

“Keep that on your face,” Betty ordered when he pulled the pack away from his eye.

 

“I just want to inspect the damage,” Jughead protested. “Because my head is throbbing. I can’t believe you hit me with a brick.”

 

“A girl has to have a way to protect herself. let’s not forget that you were coming after me with a bat,” Betty reminded him, hopping up on one of the counters like she had done so many times over the years.

 

“That’s because I didn’t know who you were. Hell, I still don’t know who you are,” Jughead shot back defensively. “I thought that you were a burglar which is why I had the bat with me in the first place. And speaking of not knowing who you are, you said you were going to explain everything, and you have yet to do it. And since you nearly busted out my eye, I think that I am owed one,” He finished biting back a grin when she sent another icy glare at him. She was an ice queen for sure, he decided. And boy, he hated ice queens.

 

Betty took a deep breath. “ To answer one of earlier questions, no I am not with Martin. I am the new owner.” She answered with a proud smile. Jughead looked at her for a moment before turning angry.

 

“New owner?” Jughead barked, and Betty jumped as his voice echoed through the small kitchen. Betty nodded. Jughead snorted while shaking his head. “That greedy old bastard couldn’t wait to sell this place, could he? Then again I shouldn’t be surprised seeing that that Martin guy was in here every week trying to get Leo to sell the place.” He grumbled dropping his head into his free hand.

 

Betty frowned at him. “Martin has been pressuring him to sell? Why?” She asked him as she picked at her brain trying to recall her past conversations with Leo.

 

Jughead shrugged his shoulders. “I have no idea. It started about six months ago,” He sighed. “But every time Leo turned him down.”

 

Betty smiled. “Of course he would. Leo never had any intention about selling this place. Why didn’t Leo ever tell me?” She asked out loud. “He never once mentioned it to me.”

 

“So, Ms. New Owner, what are you doing to do with the place?” He asked her tilting his head to the side. “Gut it out and turn it into some cute little clothing shop or something?”  He was looking at her as if he got a bad taste in his mouth.

 

“Hell no,” Betty replied shaking her head. “I would never disgrace Leo Cooper that way. That man deserves the best, and the best is what he is going to get.” She sighed looking around the kitchen.

 

Jughead looked at her suspiciously. “How do you know Leo Cooper?” He asked narrowing his eyes at her.

 

“Leo Cooper is my grandfather,” She replied and then realized her mistake. “I’m sorry. Leo Cooper was my grandfather.” She said, her eyes burning slightly.

 

“Leo Cooper was your grandfather?” He asked not missing the flash of hurt in her eyes. And just like that, it was gone.

 

“Yes, he was,” Betty nodded smiling at him. When she smiled at him, a real genuine smile, it felt as if the sun was shining down on him. “My name is Elizabeth Cooper. I am Leo’s granddaughter.”

 

“His Granddaughter huh? So what is your plan for this place again?”

 

Betty looked at him for a second. “I am going to run it.” She answered as if was the most obvious thing ever.

 

“Really?” Jughead questioned before his gaze turned skeptical. “Do you even know how to run a restaurant? I mean you as you have barely worked a day in your life.” He pointed out.

 

Betty raised an eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?” She asked in a tight voice.

 

“I mean what I just said,” Jughead replied. “Do you know what it takes to run this place? You look like you belong in a place where you don’t get your hands dirty.”

 

Betty could not believe the gall of the man in front of her. Never had she ever met such a dickhead in her life and here she was feeling sorry for nearly knocking him out with her bag. She wondered if that brick was itching for another strike. “You act as if you know me,” She said in a calm voice. “You seem like the literary type. Don’t you know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover?”

 

Jughead snorted. “And most of the time I am right by the cover. This place needs someone who won’t run it into the ground. Your grandfather worked hard to make this place what it is today.” He said.

 

“You think you think you know everything, don’t you? Because I made a promise to Leo a long time ago to keep this place running and I intend to keep it.”

 

“And promises can be broken,” Jughead replied, his blue eyes turning ice cold. 

 

“Well,” Betty began hopping off the counter. “I don’t break my promises, and my grandfather has taught me everything that I need to know about running this place. And he has taught me well.” She added.

 

“Sure. Okay,” Jughead nodded and looked up at the ceiling. “So, when do I need to be out by? Martin gave me six months to find a new place. But I am sure that you will want me out sooner. All I ask is that you give me two weeks because of my work schedule with the cab company.”

 

Betty nodded. “I will give you my answer if you answer my question first.” She said slowly.

 

“Okay.”

 

Betty swallowed. “You said that you were the cook for Leo. Did you like your job?” She asked casually.

 

“Seriously? That is the question?”

 

Betty rolled her eyes. “That is what I am asking and please answer honestly,” She told him. 

 

Jughead stared at her. “What does this have to do with me moving out?” He asked coolly.

 

Betty closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to keep her fingers from curling into her palms. Why the fuck did, he have to be so so so...she didn’t have a word for it. She swallowed her annoyance and opened her eyes to see him watching her with an expectant look. “Just answer the damn question,” She sighed.

 

Jughead smirked at her. “It doesn’t take much to get your panties in a wad huh?” Jughead wanted to laugh at the look she gave him but kept his cool in fear for his life. So, he didn’t an answered the girl’s question. “Working for Leo was one of the best jobs I ever had. So, now that you have your answer, when do I need to be out by?” He asked again.

 

“You don’t.”

 

“I don’t?” Jughead repeated not believing those words left that perfectly pink lips that he wouldn’t mind sucking on once or twice. He wondered if they tasted as sweet as the look. What the hell? He mentally yelled at his subconscious. We do not have these thoughts, Jones He told himself. Jughead let out a long breath as he turned his attention back to the gorgeous blonde before him. 

 

“No and you can have your old job back,” Betty added walking around the kitchen.

 

Jughead felt his eyebrows raise. “You want to give me my job back?” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice. Maybe he had judged her too quickly.

 

“Only if you want it back of course. I know you already have another job so if are unable to, I understand,” Betty said stopping at the pizza oven and looked over her shoulder at him.

 

“Why do you want me for?” Jughead asked curiously.

 

“You were the last cook to work for Leo,” Betty answered turning around placing her hand on the metal table. “That means you were able to learn his ethics and you know how he liked things done. I wouldn’t have to train you like I would with someone new off the street. Besides, Leo had a good eye for hard workers. If he hired you, then he saw something in you. You would also know his recipes or should know them by heart by now,” she added.

 

“That is very wise,” Jughead praised her and to be honest, he was a little impressed. “Can I have some time to think about?”

 

“Take all the time you need,” Betty told him kindly.

 

“When do you plan on getting the place up and running again?”

 

Betty pursed her lips before bitting down on her bottom lip. Jughead had to pull his eyes away from the sight as those stupid thoughts from earlier came rushing back to his mind. “I am hoping to be open for business in about two weeks to three weeks. I think that will give me enough time to get everything done around here.”

 

Jughead watched her closely. “This means a lot to you doesn’t it?”

 

Betty nodded. “It means everything,” She answered weakly and cleared her throat. “So, I am going to get out of here for a while and head over to my place.” Her eyes traveled to the darkening bruise on his face. “I am sorry about that,” She said pointing to his eye. “ Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

 

Jughead shook his head. “I think I am going to be fine. I have a slight headache is all and a bruise.”

 

Betty grimaced. “I am really sorry,” She said once again. “If I had known-”

 

“Don’t you worry about,” He said cutting her off. “I will try to have an answer for you tomorrow if I can get my thinking cap working once again. I think you did damage that part of my head. I’m kidding,” He chuckled when her green eyes widened.

 

“If you need to go, I am just across the street, on the third floor, door 309 or I can leave you my number,” Betty offered.

 

“Woah Woah there! Aren’t we getting a bit ahead of ourselves? We just exchanged names after you hit me with a brick and now you want to swap phone numbers. Do I look that easy to you?” He teased, and she responded with only a roll of her eyes before turning to him with a smirk.

 

“Actually you do,” She said lightly before walking around him heading for the front door without on more word. Betty allowed herself one small smile as she could feel his eyes on her and she hoped he liked the show. But what she didn’t know as she grabbed her bags off the table is that Jughead didn’t just like the view...He enjoyed it. 

  
-

-

-

 

By the time, Betty had reached the third floor of her building she was gasping for air thanks to the elevator being out of service. She stumbled down the hall to the last door on the end and dropped her bags with a big thud that bounced off the wall. Betty wasted no time in pulling out the keys and going inside. However, Betty was not prepared for the wave of emotion that hit her as she took in everything that was her grandfather’s. It was even stronger than the restaurant, or maybe it just had not hit her as hard due to being interrupted.

 

Betty pulled her bag into the apartment and set them down on the couch. She walked over the stool at the counter that separated the kitchen from the living room...her stool. The one she would sit in at night while her grandfather would cook them dinner. They would often sit here watching a movie or a game while eating until their stomachs were filled to the brim. More times than not, Betty would sit here chopping up the vegetables while Leo would man the stove.  Betty could not stop the tears from overflowing this time. Being in this apartment without Leo...felt so weird. Like it shouldn’t even be happening. Betty knew that she would never get used to the quietness here. Because there was nothing that would replace the emptiness that was left by Leo Cooper. The one thing that she would miss the most was the pep talks he would always give her when the perfect image she had to create to please her mother became too much to bear.  Or when finals would be piling up enormous amounts of stress on her shoulders he was the person that she would call. In all honesty, Betty was closer to her grandfather than her actual mother. The relationship with her mother was a shaky one for many reasons. One, her mother who only expected perfection and that was the end of it.

 

Alice Cooper was a bit of a hard ass when it came to Betty’s grades. Ever since her father left them taking her older sister Polly with him, Alice would only accept grades that only amounted in A’s and nothing less. Betty remembered the day she came home with an 89 on her report card. Alice acted like it was the end of the world. Her mom proceeded by degrading her saying that she was not putting in all her effort in her school work and that was unacceptable by her standards. Alice was pushy about her grades and her college applications that it has placed a strain on their relationship over the year.

 

Another reason, Alice was extremely strict with Betty. So strict that she was barely able to make any friends and if she did and Alice didn’t approve then she wasn’t allowed to hang out with them. By the time she graduated high school, Betty managed to make a small group of friends and even a boyfriend that was kept a secret from her mom. To this day, Alice Cooper still had no knowledge about her relationship with Reggie Mantle the captain of the football during her senior year of high school. But after two years together, Reggie decided to throw it all away by cheating with another girl. In fact, she had caught the two of them in the act. 

 

Betty shuddered as those unsightly images came alive in her head. She held back a gag as she pushed them out her mind. She was already depressed enough and didn’t need anything else adding to it. Then she remembered something that she did that always made her feel a little better. Betty got off of the stool and walked over to the couch and pulled her phone from the bag. She went to her voicemail then placed the phone to her ear.

 

She bobbed her head as she listened to a tiny lecture from Alice Cooper about not returning any of her calls. Telling her that she was getting worried since Betty was now in a city that was full of violent crimes. But this was not what she was looking for, so she skipped through the messages until she found the prized voicemail that was left by Leo himself shortly before his death. Betty would listen to it often to make sure that she would never forget his voice.

 

“ _ My darling Betty Boo _ ,” Leo greeted. Betty collapsed down into his overstuffed leather recliner as she listened to him speak. “ _ I just wanted to give you a call to remind you to be yourself. If you let the world see who you are then it will love you. You have a bright and compassionate soul that warms the world. You could bring the warmest day to the coldest night. Also, I just wanted to let you know how proud of you and to tell you that I love you, my beautiful granddaughter. I will talk to you on Sunday my Love. Ti Amo!”  _ Betty listened until she heard the tell-tale click ending the call.

 

Betty decided that she was tired of feeling sorry for herself and decided to go do something constructive with her time. So, she tossed her phone on to the table and went off the find something to do and boy it turned out that there was a lot. By the time Betty climbed into her best freshly showered, Betty had managed to clean the place from top to bottom throwing away old food and even ran down to the corner store for staples that she needed. She was so worn out that she could barely form a thought about her upcoming busy day that was tomorrow.


End file.
